#Anniversary of the day you went away full#

In time, their chorus would reach President Johnson. To those who marched, though, those old gospel songs must have never sounded so sweet. A white newsman, Bill Plante, who covered the marches then and who is with us here today, quipped that the growing number of white people lowered the quality of the singing.

#Anniversary of the day you went away full#

When the trumpet call sounded for more to join, the people came вЂ“ black and white, young and old, Christian and Jew, waving the American flag and singing the same anthems full of faith and hope. They did as Scripture instructed: вЂњRejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.вЂќ And in the days to come, they went back again and again. We gather here to honor the courage of ordinary Americans willing to endure billy clubs and the chastening rod tear gas and the trampling hoof men and women who despite the gush of blood and splintered bone would stay true to their North Star and keep marching toward justice. The march on Selma was part of a broader campaign that spanned generations the leaders that day part of a long line of heroes.

King, and so many more, the idea of a just America, a fair America, an inclusive America, a generous America вЂ“ that idea ultimately triumphed.ДЄs is true across the landscape of American history, we cannot examine this moment in isolation. Vivian, Andrew Young, Fred Shuttlesworth, Dr. It was not a clash of armies, but a clash of wills a contest to determine the meaning of America.ДЄnd because of men and women like John Lewis, Joseph Lowery, Hosea Williams, Amelia Boynton, Diane Nash, Ralph Abernathy, C.T.

In one afternoon fifty years ago, so much of our turbulent history вЂ“ the stain of slavery and anguish of civil war the yoke of segregation and tyranny of Jim Crow the death of four little girls in Birmingham, and the dream of a Baptist preacher вЂ“ met on this bridge. Others are sites that symbolize the daring of AmericaвЂ™s character вЂ“ Independence Hall and Seneca Falls, Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral. Many are sites of war вЂ“ Concord and Lexington, Appomattox and Gettysburg. There are places, and moments in America where this nationвЂ™s destiny has been decided. Bush, Governor Bentley, Members of Congress, Mayor Evans, Reverend Strong, friends and fellow Americans: Then, his knapsack stocked with an apple, a toothbrush, a book on government вЂ“ all you need for a night behind bars вЂ“ John Lewis led them out of the church on a mission to change America.

Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you. No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you They comforted themselves with the final verse of the final hymn they sung: The air was thick with doubt, anticipation, and fear. A doctor described what tear gas does to the body, while marchers scribbled down instructions for contacting their loved ones.

Veterans of the movement trained newcomers in the tactics of non-violence the right way to protect yourself when attacked. Young folks with bedrolls and backpacks were milling about. Now, I have to imagine that when a younger John Lewis woke up that morning fifty years ago and made his way to Brown Chapel, heroics were not on his mind. It is a rare honor in this life to follow one of your heroes. Here is the full text of SaturdayвЂ™s speech, as prepared for delivery. President Obama spoke before thousands on Saturday during a commemorative ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the events of вЂњBloody SundayвЂќ when over 600 non-violent protesters were attacked by Alabama state troopers as they attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights.